Conn. Chief Seeks Help for 8 Schools

Connecticut’s top education official is calling for a no-holds-barred attempt to improve eight schools in the state that are in danger of being restructured under the federal No Child Left Behind Act.

In a report to the state’s school board on Dec. 1, Commissioner of Education Betty J. Sternberg proposed giving the schools expanded preschool programs, incentives to attract more experienced teachers, longer school days and years, and family-support services such as health clinics.

The eight schools, located in Hartford, New Haven, and Bridgeport, have failed to meet their performance targets for four years, placing them in “corrective action” under the federal law.

Ms. Sternberg’s plan, which would require state legislation to implement, does not yet have a price tag.